Center-board for vessels



(No Model.)

J. GO'UCH. CENTER BOARD FOR VESSELS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOEL OOUOH, OF CLAYTON, NEXV YORK.

CENTER-BOARD FOR VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,503, dated March 17, 1891.

Application filed October 30, 1890. Serial No. 3691829. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOEL COUCH, a citizen oit the United States of America, residing at Clayton, in the county of Jefferson and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Center-Boards for Vessels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in center-boards for vessels or canoes.

rI he object of the invention is to provide a folding center-board made up of braces or hangers to which are pivotally connected the blades so as to position the braces or hangers at an angle with the keel while the blades lie parallel therewith, the construction being such that the blades and hangers can be elevated or depressed by operating a lever connected with the. forward hanger to extend within the vessel; and it consists in the construction and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specilication, Figure l is a side view of acenter-board, showing the same applied to a vessel. Fig. 2 is a sectional view.

A refers to a box or housing, which is adapt'- ed to be secured over an opening in the keel of the vessel and inclose the center-board wh en the same is raised. Near the forward end of this box or housing` are located bearings for a pin, which support the main hanger B, both of said bearings being open and provided with a packing to permit one end of the pin to project within the vessel for attachment thereto of an operating-lever. The 'supporting-piu is rigidly connected to the hanger by having a squared portiomwhich engages with a corresponding perforation in the hanger. The rear portion of the box at its upper edge is slightly raised above its normal plane to receive a supplemental hanger I), the upper end of said hanger being provided with a slot through which a connecting-pin d passes. The front hanger or brace B is perfectly fiat on one side, and on the other side has a series of depressions corresponding with the number of blades employed,within which said blades are pivoted to fold one upon the other when closed. These depressions can be formed by constructing the hanger B of several sheets oi metal, and rule-joints may be employed by providing the shoulders e and f. Any number of blades E may be used, and itis obvious that as the hanger B swings upon its pivot each succeeding blade will have to be shorter than the one above to permit of its entering the housing.

When the center-board is raised within the box or housing, the blades will fold one upon the other and present a compact appearance. The supplemental hanger or brace l) is pivoted to the upper blade and at its lower end to the adjacent blade, and short hangers or fiat strips D connect the succeeding blades. IVhen it is desired to lower the center-board, the lever is turned so that the front hanger will be depressed, which will carry with it the blades and supplemental hangers, the rear hanger'or brace D, having a slotted connec tion, permits the same to swing down and pren sent its enlarged portion d within the box snugly between the side walls thereof, so as to provide a rigid support. A. board thus con structed is extremely rigid.

I am aware that prior to my invention it has been proposed to construct a center-board of blades pivoted upon a common bolt and adapted to be operated by a lever located within the vessel, said blades being adapted to be used in connection with a box attached above or to the keel or keelson of a vessel, also that center-boards have been made up of blades pivoted` to hangers and adapted to fold against the bottom of the vessel, so that the blades will lie alongside each other, said construction being adapted to opcrate in one direction by gravity and in the other by a iiexiblc connection which passes around the vessel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a center-hoard for vessels, the combination, with' a box adapted to receive the centen-board, of a front hanger secured to the boX IOO by a pin which tnrns therein, so as to provide means for elevating and depressing said front hanger, and supplemental hangers or braces D and D', connecting the rear portions ol.' the blades to each otherand to the box, substantially as set forth.

2. In a center-board for vessels, the combination of a forward hanger having a series of depressions or side recesses, horizontal blades pivoted at their forward ends within said recesses so that they will lie side by side when folded, and hangers pivotcd to the rear portion of the blades so as to connect the blades to each other, and a supplemental hanger or brace D, movably secured to the box or well, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a center-board for vessels, of a box or housing, blades E E, adapted to lie within the saine when raised and be projected horizontally therefrom when lowered, and hangers B and D, connecting said blades with the box, the forward hanger bei ing secured to the box upon a turning pin7 the upper portion of the rear hanger being slotted 44eme for engagement with a stationary pin carried by the box, substantially as set forth.

l. In a center-board for vessels, the combination, with a box or housing A, of a main hanger l, having` depressions within which the blades are pivoted, presenting shoulders e, against which shoulders f, formed on said blades, abut, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a center-board for vessels, of a box A, supporting a hanger to which the blades are pivotally attached, together with a supplemental hanger or brace D, pivoted to the blades and to the housing, and presenting on one edge an enlarged portion or Web which ts snugly between the side Walls ot` the box to present a rigid support., substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix7 my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOEL COUCII.

tvitnesses:

LANSING llosn, HENRY VEBBER, Jr. 

